| Smyth with the New Orleans Saints in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 39 – New Orleans Saints | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Placekicker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 June 2001 Mayobridge, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career statistics as of Week 17, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gaelic games career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Gaelic Football | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Charlie Smyth (born 26 June 2001) is an Irish [1] professional American football placekicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously played Gaelic football as a goalkeeper at senior level for the Down county team,before joining the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2024.
Smyth began playing Gaelic football when he was four years old. [2] He first came to prominence as the goalkeeper for Down's Ulster Under-20 Championship winning team in 2020,scoring in every game of the campaign that ended at the All-Ireland semi-final stage. [3]
In 2021,Smyth was the goalkeeper on the Down winning team to lift the Ulster Under-20 title,their first since 2009. [4] [5] He was one of three players from Down who received honours in the EirGrid All-Ireland Under-20 football awards that year. [6]
In 2023,he made his debut on the Down county football team and was a Tailteann Cup runner-up with Down. [7] [8]
In January 2024,Smyth began training to play in the National Football League (NFL) via the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program. [9] He participated in the NFL Scouting Combine where he connected on 12 of 16 field goal attempts. [10] At his pro-day,he made 8 of 10 field goals,including one from 60 yards. [10] On 29 March 2024,he signed a three-year contract with the New Orleans Saints,becoming the first GAA player to sign an NFL contract. [11] [12] [13] Smyth had sent an email to the NFL in July 2019 asking for a tryout hoping to see if his Gaelic football skills could transfer to the NFL. [14] He was waived on 27 August,and re-signed to the practice squad. [15] [16]
Smyth signed a reserve/future contract with the Saints on 6 January 2025. [17] On 26 August,Smyth was waived by the Saints as part of final roster cuts [18] and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. [19] On 29 November,Smyth was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the first time. [20] The next day,Smyth made his NFL debut against the Miami Dolphins,in which he made a 56-yard field goal and successfully converted an onside kick. [21] On 14 December,he made a 47-yard winning field goal with six seconds left to help the Saints to victory over the Carolina Panthers. [22] Smyth was signed to the active roster on December 19 on a three-year contract. [23] [24]
| General | Field goals | PATs | Kickoffs | Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | FGM | FGA | FG% | Blck | Long | XPM | XPA | XP% | KO | Avg | TBs | Pts |
| 2025 | NOLA | 4 | 9 | 11 | 81.8% | 0 | 56 | 7 | 7 | 100% | 22 | 58.1 | 10 | 34 |
| Career | 4 | 9 | 11 | 81.8% | 0 | 56 | 7 | 7 | 100% | 22 | 58.1 | 10 | 34 | |
Smyth is a native of Mayobridge, Newry. [25] He attended St Colman's College. [26] Smyth studied at St Mary's University College, where he was completing a master's degree in physical education. [2] [27] Prior to that, Smyth had trained as a primary school teacher with Irish language and was ready to teach while also playing GAA with his club Mayobridge. [28] [29]